How are diamonds graded? What exactly makes up the final price you pay at the fine jewelry store? Well, it all comes down to a simple and easy to remember formula – the 4 “C”s of Diamonds. These carry over in some ways to the grading of other gemstones – even pearls – but when we talk about diamonds in relationship to the 4 “C”s, we are talking about a very specific way of exploring production and perfection quality. 4 C's of Diamonds   Color refers to the hue of the diamond. Chemically perfect diamonds are without hue and translucent, creating the stunning and glamorous shimmer we associate with these stunning natural miracles. However, colored diamonds – while many are synthetically heat treated to produce outlandish and brilliantly unnatural shades of reds and blues – can be even more valuable than diamonds without hue, depending on the type. Pale pink diamonds are extremely rare and highly valued, for example, because their natural impurities are so rare. Cut refers to the facets of the diamond itself and the shape that it takes, which is all determined by the way in which it is cut and how many planes are carved into the stone. When diamonds are set into specific band settings, they have to be cut in a way that allows them to stay still and safe. Loose diamonds can be inspected more adequately in relationship to cut because all angles are easily visible. Carat weight refers to the mass of the diamond, or, to put it simply, the amount of diamond you are dealing with. The more diamond, the better, although size and weight is not a hard and fast rule when it comes to value. A very impure diamond with visible surface scratching with certainly be worth less than a smaller and chemically perfect piece. Lastly, we need to talk about clarity. When we are talking about clarity in reference to diamonds, what we are referring to is the surface scratching, cloudiness, and overall impurities found on the diamond itself. The more visible these impurities are, the more that those impurities will have an effect on the overall value on the diamond. Some impurities can only be seen under extreme magnification, and won’t weigh as heavily. Some are highly visible and detract from the value significantly. It all depends on the diamond. The 4 “C”s of diamonds is important to understand for anyone who loves precious gemstones and wants to know more about them.